


Silver Lining

by SailorChibi



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Angst With A Happyish Ending, Angst and Fluff, Bonds, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Implied Soul Mates, Near Death Experience, Protective Marinette Dupain-Cheng, but they all come out okay, finding a silver lining against a dark storm cloud, ladybug and chat noir are all about a perfect balance, no characters die in the writing of this fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-04
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-08-17 14:41:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16518428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorChibi/pseuds/SailorChibi
Summary: "You two make up a perfect balance," Tikki went on. "If that balance were ever destroyed, it would mean calamity would descend upon the Earth. Ladybug is never active without Chat Noir, and vice versa. Their verysoulsare intertwined.""What are you saying?" Marinette hissed."If Chat Noir dies, then Ladybug dies," Tikki whispered. “That’s how it’s always been, and how it will always be.”





	Silver Lining

"Marinette? Marinette, can you hear me?"

"... Maman?" Marinette whispered. Her head felt hazy, like she'd been awake for too long without sleeping. It was a feeling she was more familiar with than she should've been.

"Marinette! _Mon Dieu_." Sabine hauled her up into a rib-breaking hug. Marinette hugged her mother back automatically, eyes wandering around the room in confusion. This wasn't her bedroom. The white walls, the beeping machines, the smell of chemicals - this was a hospital room. Had she been fighting an akuma and gotten hurt? Where was Chat Noir?

"Maman, what happened?"

"Oh, my Marinette. You collapsed while you were at school. The doctors say your heart stopped." Sabine's cheeks were stained with tears when she drew back. She cupped Marinette's face. "Your father and I were so scared."

"My... my heart?" Marinette repeated, putting a hand to her chest. Her heart beat steadily beneath her palm.

"Marinette!" Tom yelled. In the next instant, Marinette was being hauled into another hug.

Behind her father came a flurry of doctors, followed by a series of tests that left Marinette's head spinning. The doctors kept looking at her strangely, and more than once she'd heard them muttering about miracles. That led her to think that whatever had led her to be in the hospital might be more... _miraculous_ than anyone realized. But, constantly surrounded, she had to bide her time. She submitted to the tests like a good girl, letting them draw blood and stick electrodes on her and put her into strange machines. Her worried parents never left her side.

It was after midnight by the time Marinette was alone, and even then she wasn't truly alone. Her mother insisted on staying the night and was sleeping on a cot by the door. Despite that, Marinette looked around the room and finally spotted her clothing stacked on a nearby chair. Her purse was sitting on top. She glanced at her mother, then carefully pushed the sheets back and put her feet down. The floor was cold. Supressing a shiver, she carefully stood up and made her way over to the chair.

"Tikki?" she whispered.

The purse popped open to reveal a very worried kwami. "Oh, Marinette, you're okay!" Tikki squeaked, shooting up to hug Marinette's cheek.

"Yes, I think so," Marinette said, kissing Tikki's forehead. "Or... I feel like I am, anyway. I don't even remember what happened!"

"You just collapsed," Tikki said, her big blue eyes worried.

Marinette froze when her mother rolled over. When Sabine was still, she hissed, "Is this a Ladybug thing? Am I dying?"

"No," Tikki said.

"Tikki," Marinette said, putting her free hand on her hip.

"You're not dying anymore?" Tikki offered.

"Tikki!"

Tikki sighed. "Okay. Do you remember what I told you about Ladybug and Chat Noir being two halves of a whole?"

"Yes," Marinette said slowly. 

"You two make up a perfect balance," Tikki went on. "If that balance were ever destroyed, it would mean calamity would descend upon the Earth. Ladybug is never active without Chat Noir, and vice versa. Their very _souls_ are entertwined."

"What are you saying?" Marinette hissed.

"If Chat Noir dies, then Ladybug dies," Tikki whispered. “That’s how it’s always been, and how it will always be.”

Marinette stared at her. Over a rushing sound in her ears, she managed, "W-what?"

"I'm sorry, Marinette. I didn't want to tell you. Sometimes it's not an issue, and we never have to tell our Chosen," Tikki said tearfully. 

"And... and at... at other times?" Marinette choked out.

Tikki sighed. "Sometimes there’s a close call, and we tell them just so that they’re aware of the danger going forward. But… sometimes they die before we can tell them," she admitted.

The world was spinning. It was a good thing she wasn't attached to any machines, because Marinette was sure they'd be going haywire and the last thing she needed to deal with was a bunch of concerned doctors or, even worse, her worried mother. She staggered backwards until her knees hit the bed, then sank down onto it. Tikki followed, alighting on Marinette's knee.

"So that means... Chat..."

"Chat Noir must have been very close to dying to cause you to collapse," Tikki confirmed.

Marinette's blood ran cold, but she couldn't focus on that now. "Wait. Chat Noir died when Timebreaker was running around, and I was fine!"

"You were Ladybug at the time," Tikki explained. "Your connection to me gave you some leeway. You had a few hours at most before you would’ve gone into shock and died when Chat Noir's death caught up to you. But you defeated the akuma and restored him before that could happen. Don’t you remember how sick you felt for a few days afterwards? That was backlash from your bond."

"I can't..." Marinette trailed off, shaking her head. It was too much. She thought about all the times Chat Noir had thrown himself in front of an attack to protect Ladybug. He'd always said that Ladybug was more important, never knowing that his acts of heroics could've killed both of them at anytime.

She began to shiver and couldn't stop. Groping around behind her, she found the sheets and flopped over, pulling them up around her. Tikki flew around to settle on the pillow, facing her. 

"I'm so sorry, Marinette," she said again.

Marinette just closed her eyes.

It was a long night.

Morning brought more tests, which Marinette now knew were largely useless. There was no medical or scientific reason for her collapse. Somewhere in the city, Chat Noir had been close to dying and now he wasn't. So Marinette had almost died, and now she wouldn't. She couldn't explain that in a way that anyone would understand, except for maybe Chat Noir and his kwami.

Once the tests were done, Sabine came over. "Marinette, your father and I have to run home. But we have someone to keep you company."

"Who - Alya!" Marinette lit up as her best friend rushed into the room.

"Oh my god, Marinette." Alya threw herself at Marinette. Sabine smiled and slipped out.

"Hey, I'm fine now," Marinette said, holding Alya tightly. "Really."

"You went down right in front of me," Alya cried, her voice catching on a sob. "Between you and Adrien -"

"Wait, what? What happened to Adrien?"

Alya sat back, wiping her face. "Your parents didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?!"

"Adrien was in a car accident yesterday," Alya said. "Apparently it happened right around the same time you collapsed. They rushed him to the hospital. I don't know much, but Nino says it was super serious. Like, he almost died."

Almost died.

It couldn't be a coincidence.

"Do you..." Marinette's voice was faint. "Do you know what hospital?"

"This one, I think. Girl, are you okay? You've gone really pale. Should I call someone?" Alya glanced at the call button on the nightstand.

"I'm fine," Marinette croaked. It had to be Adrien. Adrien was Chat Noir. Adrien had almost died, and in turn had almost killed her too. 

"Are you sure? Do you need me to call a doctor?" Alya was looking seriously worried.

With sincere effort, Marinette pulled herself together and shook her head. "No. It's just... Adrien. Such a shock."

"I probably shouldn't have told you," Alya said, wringing her hands together. “They told me not to tell you anything that would upset you, but it’s _Adrien_ and I couldn’t keep it from you.”

"I'm glad you did," Marinette said, taking and squeezing her friend's hand. "Just… let's talk about something else. How's the Ladyblog doing?"

Alya began to prattle away, and while Marinette tried to pay attention, her mind wandered. Adrien and Chat Noir both had blond hair and green eyes. They had a similar height, weight and build. It was a little hard to imagine shy, reserved Adrien being as outgoing and flirty as Chat Noir usually was, but both of them were also sweet, loyal, kind, and outspoken where it mattered.

It fit. Part of her couldn’t figure out how she hadn’t seen it before.

Alya stayed for almost two hours, before a nurse came to take Marinette away for more tests. When she eventually returned to her room, Marinette found, much to her frustration, that her parents were back. They stayed with her all afternoon and well into the evening. It took considerable effort for Marinette to talk them both into leaving for the night, as her mother wanted to stay with her again. Visiting hours were ending by the time her parents finally left; the instant they were gone, she turned on Tikki.

“Tikki,” she said, as calmly as she could, “is Adrien Chat Noir?”

Tikki sighed. “Yes.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Secret identities are secret for a reason, Marinette. It never goes well when Plagg and I interfere. If the truth is going to come out, it has to happen on its own. You weren’t ready to hear the truth before,” Tikki explained. 

That made sense, even if Marinette didn’t like it. “How did you know?” 

“I could sense Plagg when you were around Adrien. Since everyone else in your class has been akumatized when Chat Noir was still around, it wasn’t hard to draw the obvious conclusion.”

Right. Of course. Marinette rubbed her face. “Can you sense Plagg now?”

“Yes.”

“I need you take me to him.”

“Marinette, are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“No. But he’s my partner, and he almost died.” Marinette’s voice broke on the last word. It was beginning to sink in how close she’d come to losing Chat Noir and Adrien in one fell swoop. 

Tikki’s expression was full of sympathy. “Okay. I’ll lead you there.”

“Thank you,” Marinette said, brushing at her eyes. She stood and grabbed her housecoat, pulling it on. Tikki flew over to her and huddled inside the collar where she wouldn’t be seen, but where she could easily speak to Marinette without being overhead.

Marinette moved to the door and peeked out. No one was looking. She slipped out and walked quickly down the hall, following Tikki’s directions. With only one or two false starts, Tikki led her straight to Adrien’s hospital room. She knew she’d found the right place when she saw the Gorilla sitting outside of a door, arms crossed, expression set into a deep frown. She hadn’t thought that Adrien’s room might be guarded, but she supposed it made sense. No doubt fans had already heard about what happened.

Her slippers squeaked against the floor and the Gorilla’s head snapped around. The ferocity of his glare made Marinette lift her hands defensively. “I – I’m one of Adrien’s classmates,” she stammered. “I just heard. I thought – could I see him?”

The Gorilla gave her a hard stare, looking her over. His eyes lingered on her face and hair. Marinette knew she probably looked like a mess, and wished she’d taken a moment to at least comb her hair before leaving her room. She was ready for the Gorilla to tell her to go away, maybe even call hospital security, when he did something that shocked the hell out of her.

Very deliberately, he turned his head and looked in the other direction.

“Go!” Tikki hissed, which jolted Marinette into moving. She rushed to the door and let herself in.

The hospital room was eerily quiet, broken only by beeping machines. Adrien lay in the bed, his right arm in a cast. Marinette approached the bed to look down at him. His face was bruised and puffy, but overall he looked no worse than he would’ve had they been in a fight. The damage, she assumed, must’ve been largely internal. How she wished she could cast a Lucky Charm and fix it.

“Plagg?” Tikki whispered.

A small shadow near Adrien’s broken arm rustled. Glowing green eyes peered out. “Tikki?”

“Oh, Plagg.” Tikki was by his side in a flash, grabbing Plagg in a hug.

“You brought your Chosen,” Plagg muttered, peeking up at Marinette.

“Hi,” Marinette said, trying to smile. She gave a little wave. “Plagg, um, what did the doctor say?”

“He’ll be okay. He’s a resilient kitten,” Plagg said. “I suppose you almost died too.”

Marinette nodded. “So they tell me.” She looked at Adrien. He was so still. “It wasn’t hard to draw the obvious conclusion when I heard about Adrien.”

She reached out, brushing a few strands of hair out of his face. With his hair this messy, he looked more like Chat Noir than Adrien Agreste. Her heart ached, and suddenly she was overcome with a wave of fatigue. She sank down onto the side of his bed, putting a hand to her chest.

“Marinette! Are you okay?” Tikki exclaimed.

“I’m okay. I just got really tired suddenly,” Marinette said.

Plagg and Tikki exchanged a look. Then Tikki said, “It’s because of Adrien.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s drawing energy from you to heal faster,” Tikki explained. “It’s a survival mechanism. The wounded partner will always draw energy from the healthier partner, so long as you’re in a safe place. Adrien must have sensed your presence, and known that you were safe.”

“Safe as can be, I guess,” Marinette sighed. “Tell me, are there any other surprises you two decided not to share?”

Again, the kwamis looked at each other before Tikki said, “No.”

“Forgive me if I don’t find that convincing,” Marinette said dryly. “Once Adrien wakes up, the four of us are going to be having a _very_ long talk.”

“That’s fair,” Tikki admitted.

Marinette nodded, looking back to Adrien. “Would he heal faster in the suit? I could keep watch.”

“You’d have to activate the transformation for him,” said Plagg. “Put your hand over his. The phrase is ‘claws out’.”

She had to stand to be able to slide her hand over Adrien’s. “Plagg, claws out!” she whispered loudly. The ring glowed black and sucked Plagg inside. Green light washed over Adrien, leaving Chat Noir behind, and Marinette sat down hard again.

It was one thing to know. It was something else to see it. She licked her suddenly dry lips and moved her hand so that she could hold Chat Noir’s, intertwining their fingers. He was so quiet. So still. It seemed wrong for either one of them. Chat Noir was always in motion, like he had so much energy that he couldn't help but fidget. Now, Marinette realized it had to be a byproduct of having to be so reserved in every day life. Nino had often talked about how frustrating it was to watch Adrien constantly be in the spotlight. He'd said before that he wished Adrien had a way to let go and have fun.

If only he knew.

Her tears came suddeny, filling her eyes and rolling down her cheeks. Tikki looked up at her worriedly.

"Are you okay, Marinette?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Marinette whispered, even though it was obviously a lie. She wished Adrien would open his eyes and sit up. Chat Noir gave the best hugs; she knew that because, in spite of her efforts to keep them from getting too close, the barriers between them had fallen one by one. His hugs always made her feel safe and strong, like there was nothing that the two of them couldn't do together. 

But he was alive, even if he was unconscious, and that was enough for her right now. It would have to be. And when he woke up, they would have the chance to talk and figure out how they were going to move forward. 

"You don't look okay. Maybe you should go back to your bed and lay down," Tikki said.

Marinette shook her head. "No, I want to stay as long as I can. Being in the suit will help, and you said he's... he's pulling energy from me, right?"

"Yes, but if you get too weak that won't help."

"I won't, I promise." Marinette squeezed his hand gently, wishing he'd squeeze back. "Tikki... do you think Hawkmoth knows that if one of us dies, we both do?"

"No," Tikki said, with such confidence that Marinette believed her. "Nooroo wouldn't betray us like that."

"But he's under Hawkmoth's control."

"It's not information he would volunteer. If Hawkmoth specifically asked, then yes. But he would have no reason to." Tikki flew up, alighting on Marinette's shoulder. "This doesn't have to be a bad thing. Nothing has changed."

"Except now we know," Marinette pointed out. She could think of lots of ways this was a bad thing. If she or Chat fell, that was it. Paris would be done for. Suddenly she understood why there were seven Miraculouses. Ladybug may have been the only one who could cleanse akumas, but she doubted that the others were burdened by this kind of drawback. She asked Tikki as much, who looked troubled by the question.

"No, they're not," Tikki said slowly. "But... you have to understand. I'm the goddess of creation and Plagg is the god of destruction. We're the strongest of all the kwamis. It only makes sense that our powers are linked. We couldn't _be_ , if they weren't."

"It's the trade-off," Marinette muttered, and Tikki nodded.

"Kwamis, and by extension our Chosen, are all about balance."

"So when I became Ladybug, my soul became intertwined with Chat Noir's because of that."

Tikki smiled. "Oh, Marinette. You and Adrien were _made_ for each other. You've always been linked. Becoming Ladybug and Chat Noir just ascended your bond to new heights."

Marinette flushed at that. "What does that mean?"

"It means that you two are the strongest Ladybug and Chat Noir that I've ever seen," Tikki said, sounding wistful. "It's so rare that Plagg and I are able to find a pair of soulmates that function for both of us. We have to be careful, you know? Our Chosen need to have a bond of some kind, whether it's platonic or romantic. It's not always easy to find people who can accommodate that. But you and Adrien..." Her eyes glowed for a moment. "You love him, and he loves you. That makes all the difference in the world."

Adrien loved her. Marinette flushed at the thought, her heart skipping a couple of beats. She supposed it made sense, since Chat Noir had been flirting with Ladybug for two years now. For a long time she'd thought he flirted with everyone and used that as an excuse to turn him down each time. And then, even after she realized the flirting was just for her, she'd kept turning him down because of Adrien. If only she'd known sooner! All those nights she'd spent beating herself up because she was falling in love with two boys... what a waste of time.

She may have dozed a bit, on and off, only rousing when she heard the squeak of wheels out in the hallway. Chat Noir's ring pulsed green and Plagg tumbled out, looking weary. Marinette caught him, gathering Tikki and Plagg up in her arms and hurriedly slipping into the bathroom right before the door opened. A nurse came into the room, followed by the Gorilla. The Gorilla's eyes swept quickly over the room before he realized where she was, but he didn't call attention to her. He just watched as the nurse bustled around Adrien, checking a couple of the machines and swapping out the bags of fluid on Adrien's I.V.

When they were finished, and the door had safely closed, Marinette stepped out. It was nearing 5am, she realized with a jolt. She'd been in Adrien's room for over seven hours, even though it felt like no more than seven minutes. The hospital's rotations were starting, and there would be a problem if she wasn't found in her room. Plus, there was a chance her mom or dad might try to sneak in early to see her. She really had to leave. Despite that, she wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed alongside Adrien and stay there until he woke up. It was only the thought of what would happen if Gabriel Agreste found her here that made her decide to go.

"How is he?" she asked Plagg.

"Better," Plagg said, sinking down onto Adrien's pillow. He nuzzled into Adrien's hair and neck, blending into the shadows so seamlessly all she could see was a pair of glowing green eyes.

"Better," Marinette repeated, sighing. It didn't mean much.

"I can only do so much, Kid," Plagg told her.

"I know. I don't mean to sound -"

"Just get out of here," he grumbled.

Marinette bit her lip but nodded. "I'll come back," she told him, rubbing his little head. "Later today. Any special requests?"

"Camembert?" Plagg asked in a tiny voice.

"Of course." Marinette would get her hands on it somehow. She paused, looking at Adrien, and finally leaned down to kiss his cheek. "Come back to me, _Chaton_ ," she whispered to him. “Your princess needs you.”

She opened the door and moved out into the hall. The Gorilla had his head turned away again; she took the hint and didn’t speak, shuffling back down the hall. She took the stairs down to her floor and found her way back to the room literally a minute before a nurse came in to hook her back up to her I.V. Sometimes, Marinette supposed, luck really did go her way.

What followed was another day of tests. Her mother and father visited – separately, because they couldn’t leave the bakery closed for too long – and so did Alya, Juleka, Alix, Mylène and Rose after school. Alya brought the requested camembert cheese, which Marinette set aside on her nightstand for ‘later’. As nice as it was to talk to her friends and hear about what she’d missed, she was counting the seconds until she could return to Adrien.

And at last, when night fall and the hospital quieted, Marinette got her chance. She knew the way now, and was able to move much more quickly through the darkened halls. The seat outside Adrien’s room was empty, so she slipped inside quickly. 

“Plagg?” she said softly. “I’ve got your cheese.”

Plagg emerged from beneath Adrien’s hospital gown and flew over to her. “The doctors are all confused,” he informed her, grabbing the cheese she offered. “They say Adrien is progressing at a much better rate than they thought. They might wake him up tomorrow.”

For what felt like the first time since she’d woken up in the hospital, Marinette could breathe. “They’re confused about me too,” she said, taking her seat. “They don’t understand why I collapsed when I’m healthy, but since they can’t find anything wrong they want to release me tomorrow morning. Will it be okay?”

“It should be,” Tikki said, joining Plagg on the bed. “Adrien will heal naturally; your presence and being Chat Noir just expedites the process. You could still visit him at night as Ladybug.”

“I’ll do that,” Marinette said decisively, already thinking of how best she’d do it. “Plagg, are you ready?”

The kwami tossed the last chunk of cheese into the air and swallowed it one gulp. “Ready.”

Marinette laid her hand over Adrien’s. “Plagg, claws out!”

The transformation rolled over Adrien, transforming him into Chat Noir. Marinette slid her hand down so that they were holding hands and leaned back in her chair, already pondering how she could spend as much time here as possible. Alya had told her that Nino had been by to visit once. It was unlikely her parents would let her out of the house today, but maybe she could convince Alya and Nino to visit with her tomorrow, and then again for as long as Adrien was in the hospital. And of course, she’d come at night too.

It was a little easier tonight to think about two boys and piece them together into one. The hardest part was that her partner couldn’t share in the joy of her discovery. There was something painfully ironic about the fact that she, who had tried to so hard to hide their identities, was the one to find out first, while poor Chat Noir, who’d always wanted to know, still didn’t.

“My poor _petit minou_ ,” she whispered, bringing their hands up so she could kiss the back of his. It was something he’d always done to her, but she’d never once reciprocated. His reaction would probably be hilarious.

“He’s going to be okay, Marinette,” Tikki said gently.

“I know. It’s just… I didn’t expect this, and we’re so lucky it didn’t happen during an akuma battle… or where someone could put two and two together.” Marinette sighed. She wasn’t sure how she felt knowing that her life was tied so closely to someone else’s. It was both scary and comforting, in a weird way. Scary because if Chat Noir fell in battle, so would she. Or if one of them were in another car accident, or had a heart attack, or tripped and fell…

But it was also comforting. Without Chat Noir, she wouldn’t be able to do this. She couldn’t fathom going on alone if Chat Noir died, but nor could she imagine getting another partner. How could she fight with anyone other than her sweet, silly kitty? Now she knew that whether they fell in battle or lived to tell the tale, she wouldn’t be alone. She thought… _hoped_ … that Adrien would feel the same way.

“I’m sorry. Being a Miraculous holder isn’t all good. The life expectancy rate is much higher now, but…” Tikki trailed off.

Marinette looked down at her. “Would you tell me about them?”

“About who?”

“The Ladybugs and Chat Noirs that came before us.”

Tikki seemed surprised. “You’ve never asked about them before.”

“I never had reason to be curious,” Marinette said. “Did they… were they happy?”

“Most of them,” Tikki said slowly. “Not always.” She rose up off the bed and settled onto Marinette’s knee. “The life of a holder can be hard, but it’s rewarding too. Let’s see. The Ladybug and Chat Noir before you two were in Canada, and that was about eighty years ago.”

Marinette listened carefully to the stories Tikki told her, about the men and women who had come before them, though she wasn’t sure what she was looking for. Some sort of sign that this wasn’t the end of the world, maybe? It made the time pass by quickly, at least. 

This time, just after 4:30am, Marinette touched the ring and whispered, “Plagg, claws out.”

“Ugh,” Plagg complained as he tumbled out. “That’s exhausting.”

Tikki hugged him, while Marinette offered him the rest of the cheese. “Plagg, it sounds like I won’t be here when Adrien wakes him up. Would you – will you tell him? About this, I mean. And me. Who I am.” She cleared her throat. “I want him to know when… when I come back.”

“I’ll tell him,” Plagg said, weakly flying off her lap and onto the bed. He vanished into the curve of Adrien’s arm and Marinette stood, swaying slightly with fatigue. If this was how the kwamis felt after a transformation, she understood why food was so important. She was _exhausted_. If she hadn’t been worried about someone coming in on them, she would’ve slipped into bed with Adrien and slept for a while.

Sabine was there at 8am for Marinette to be discharged with orders to take it easy for the rest of the week and return immediately if she felt dizzy, sick or fainted. Marinette was grateful to be going home, though she hated the thought of leaving Adrien behind and she could tell her parents were very nervous. Her mother kept hovering, as though she expected Marinette to collapse at any moment. There was no way for Marinette to explain that that wasn’t going to happen, not without sharing a lot of secrets that she was in no way prepared to share.

Besides, they weren’t wrong. If Adrien took a sudden turn for the worse, she’d die along with him and her parents would never have a satisfying explanation as to why. It was kind of terrifying that someone else could have so much sway over her, but at the same time she could also drop dead of a heart attack tomorrow and take him down with her. Which would be worse?

“You can’t live your life worrying about dying,” Tikki whispered to her when Marinette was safely in bed, and Marinette knew she was right.

She slept for a while, only waking when her father brought her lunch. Marinette ate and then slept again until school ended and Alya came to visit. Alya was so clearly thrilled to see her home that Marinette had to smile. She’d brought along the homework that Marinette had missed, which Marinette set aside for the time being. She and Adrien could go over it later together.

“How are you feeling?” Alya asked worriedly, taking a seat on the bed.

“I’m fine, really. I feel perfect,” Marinette said. She flexed her arm. 

Alya eyed her warily. “Yeah, well, don’t go crazy or anything. I’m not going to forget the sight of you collapsing anytime soon.”

“I really am sorry about that.”

“God, Marinette, it wasn’t your fault! Did they ever figure out what happened?”

Marinette shook her head. “No.” She felt a little guilty for not being able to her friend the truth. 

“Sheesh,” Alya muttered. “If you feel faint, let me know.”

“I will,” Marinette promised. “Now tell me what I missed today.”

Alya cocked her head and grinned. “Hmm. Nothing comes to mind unless you count Alix kissing Kim in the middle of class?”

“WHAT?”

They gossiped and giggled until dinner. Marinette was actually allowed to walk down to the table, though she suspected it was only because Alya was there. It felt really good to sit and eat with her parents and Alya. Almost like a normal dinner, if she ignored the fact that all three of them kept looking at her when they thought she wasn’t paying attention and the way her mother kept jumping up to serve her.

Alya stayed until the bakery closed. Once she was gone, Marinette remained in her bed and pretended to sleep. She listened to the familiar sounds of her parents moving around the house. Had Adrien woken up today? Was he doing okay? Had Plagg told him what happened? She wiggled with impatience, but knew better than to leave before her parents were fully asleep. They would both check on her before they went to bed, and if they found her missing it would result in a panic.

She waited until first her mother and then her father lifted the trap door to check on her. When it was nearly midnight, and she knew for certain both her parents would be fast asleep, Marinette sat up. She quickly rearranged her bed to make it look like she was still there and then stood, picking up her purse. She unlocked the skylight, gripped the edge of it and easily pulled herself up.

“Tikki, spots on!” she whispered.

Before the flash of red light had even died, Ladybug looped her purse across her body and then threw her yoyo out. She set herself a fast pace, making her way back towards the hospital. There, looking at the sea of windows, she ran into something of a problem: she realized she had no idea which room was Adrien’s. She crouched on a rooftop across from the hospital and cursed herself for not having thought to put something in the window.

And then, she saw it. A flash of green light that was at once familiar and strange. Ladybug sat up straight, heart pounding as Chat Noir appeared. He reached up and slid back the window, then stepped back in what was obviously an invitation.

Ladybug stood and started to spin her yoyo. Her eyes tracked the space between them, then darted to the buildings around them. She located her target and threw, then let herself fall. She free-fell for a few seconds before her yoyo caught, swinging her forward. Her left hand caught the frame of the window; she jerked her yoyo to release it as a clawed hand gripped her wrist and pulled her up.

“You’re in the hospital! You shouldn’t be doing that!” Ladybug scolded, wrenching her wrist away as she scrambled up. It was disorienting to see Chat Noir standing before her with his arm in a sling. But at least he was standing, not laying silently in a bed.

Chat Noir rolled his eyes. “I’m not dying.”

“Not anymore,” Ladybug said, sliding inside before she could be seen, and immediately regretted the flippant remark when the amusement died from his face.

“I almost killed you,” he said quietly. He blamed himself, she could tell, and Ladybug was not having any of that.

“It wasn’t your fault. Neither of us knew about this,” she said. “It could’ve just as easily been me.”

“But it wasn’t.”

“It was a car accident, Adrien. You had no control over that.”

The use of his real name froze him in place. He looked at her, eyes wide and startled. “You…”

“Oh shit. Didn’t Plagg tell you?” Ladybug said. She’d come here fully expecting that he would know who she was, and was not prepared to have to do that herself.

“I – yeah, he did. I just thought you’d want to pretend like we didn’t know.”

“Oh.” Ladybug blinked. That hadn’t occurred to her. “I… I guess we could do that, if you want to, but –”

“No! No, Marinette, I don’t want to pretend. I’m so happy that you’re my lady.”

His sincerity made her blush. She dared to move closer to him. It was a little weird knowing that he was Adrien, but she’d had enough time to adjust that it wasn’t making her freak out. He fidgeted, eyes darting between her face and his hands. 

“I’m glad it’s you too,” Ladybug said. “Could I see Plagg? I brought him a surprise. Or I can leave it with you –”

“No,” he said again. “I’ve been in the suit for most of the day. He’s exhausted. Plagg, claws out.”

With another flash of green light, Adrien stood before her with Plagg in his hand. Ladybug reached for her purse and pulled out a wrapped napkin. She’d managed to sneak into the kitchen after dinner. It wasn’t camembert, but she thought the half block of mozarella cheese would do for now. She’d also wrapped up several pieces of her papa’s famous cheese bread. 

“Is that for me?” Plagg asked with a greedy smile.

“All yours, buddy. You’ve been working so hard,” Ladybug cooed, rubbing him under the chin. 

“Finally, someone who appreciates me,” Plagg said, and Adrien rolled his eyes again. He set Plagg down on his nightstand. Ladybug deposited the food. Plagg literally threw himself onto the mozarella and started gnawing away. A purr rolled out of him and Ladybug smiled. He really was a cutie.

“Are you okay?” she asked, looking up at Adrien. “Should you be standing without Plagg?”

“For someone who was in a car accident, I actually feel pretty good. I’ve had to go to school with worse,” Adrien said, but he sat regardless. He was looking up at her with a curious tilt to his head.

“What?” Ladybug said, slightly self-conscious.

He shrugged with one shoulder. “I guess I thought you’d be mad. I almost killed you.”

“Adrien…” Ladybug sighed and sat beside him on the bed. After a pause, she said, “We’re partners. Two halves of a whole. That means we take the good with the bad. This is one of those things that’s kind of both.”

“You’re being so calm,” he said.

Ladybug snorted. “I’ve had way more time to freak out than you have,” she said. “Frankly, you’re the one who’s taking this calmly.”

“I’m freaking out a lot on the inside,” he admitted. “It was a shock just waking up to find myself in the hospital. Then… this.” He waved a hand to indicate the two of them. “At first I thought Plagg was playing some weird kind of joke on me.”

“This isn’t really a joking matter,” Ladybug said with a faint smile.

Adrien shook his head. “No, it’s not. Why didn’t they tell us this?”

“I asked Tikki. She didn’t really have a good answer for me. I guess… people wouldn’t want to do it if they knew,” she said, looking down at her lap. “If I’d known this from day one, I probably would’ve said no. Or at least been a lot more reluctant to say yes.”

“That makes sense,” Adrien said slowly, eyebrows furrowing. “And now?”

“And now what?”

“Are you going to retire?”

“What?” Ladybug said, shocked. “No, of course not. Besides, I don’t know if this is something I could take back even if I wanted to. We’re linked. We might be that way even if we weren’t Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

He sighed with relief. “I don’t want to give it up either, even if this is a huge shock. It’s kind of… weird. Knowing that if you died tomorrow, I would too.”

“I had a hard time wrapping my head around that too. But… I guess it just means that we have to be a little more careful. Not just as civilians, but in battle too.” She looked up at him. “That means you can’t just recklessly throw yourself into danger now, _mon minou_. I know you told me once that you do it because you believe that I’m more important, but now…” She spread her hands. “If you do, and you die, then you’ll kill us both.”

Adrien paled. “But I have to protect you.”

“Protect us both,” Ladybug said gently. “Get yourself out of the way, too. Do you remember what I told you about Timebreaker?”

“Yes.”

“I would’ve disappeared too. Tikki said I had a couple hours grace because I was transformed when you disappeard. But it would’ve caught up with me eventually. Then what would happen to Paris?” She hated seeing the look on his face as reality sank in, but this was too important. She needed to know that he understood.

“I… right. I didn’t… shit.” Adrien ran his hand through his hair. “Okay. It’s going to take me a little while to get used to this, but I see where you’re coming from. Okay.”

Ladybug relaxed. “Good. Tikki, spots off.”

As soon as she was free, Tikki sped off to join Plagg and it was just Marinette left sitting beside Adrien. She reached out and put her hand over his. She hadn’t meant to make him feel bad. But he needed to fully grasp the situation they were in. If Chat Noir died and took Ladybug with him, there would be no one stopping Hawkmoth from taking over Paris.

“I’m sorry,” Adrien whispered.

“Don’t apologize. You didn’t know. And even if you had, it was a car accident. You couldn’t have changed anything,” Marinette pointed out. “It was an accident.”

“I just hate the thought that what happened to me hurt you,” he said.

“It could be me next time,” Marinette said. “I could take you down with me. I’m a klutz. I could fall down the stairs tomorrow. It’s like Tikki told me, we can’t live our lives worrying about dying.”

“Right,” Adrien said, but he didn’t seem convinced.

Marinette dared to lean closer, setting her cheek on his uninjured shoulder. “Besides,” she breathed, “I find it comforting, in a way.”

“You do?”

“Adrien, we’ll never be alone. We’ll live together or die together. I used to have a lot of nightmares about you dying and having to continue on by myself. Knowing that will never happen is a comfort to me. Maybe that sounds weird or gruesome, but it’s the truth.” She held her breath as she finished, hoping that he would feel similarly and wouldn’t be repulsed by the idea of living together with her. Maybe in more ways than one.

He was quiet for a long time, thinking about that. Then his hand flexed beneath hers, and he turned his hand over to let their fingers intertwine. “Thank you, Marinette. That makes me feel a lot better.”

“Anytime,” Marinette said with a small smile. “We’re Ladybug and Chat Noir. This is just one more thing for the two of us to tackle together.”

“That’s kind of corny, My Lady.”

“I’m a corny kind of girl,” she said. “How do you think I put up with your puns all the time?”

“My puns are paw-some, thank you very much.”

“You’re right, they are,” Marinette said, thinking of how she’d spent the last two nights longing to hear a pun out of him. He squeezed her hand, as though somehow knowing what was going through her mind, and then brought their joined hands up so that he could brush a kiss over the back of her hand.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](http://tsuki-chibi.tumblr.com/).


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